Stating an overseas rate

[expat]

Quoting excluding travel/accommodation seems better to me, as you cannot hope to estimate those at this point.

That sounds logical but in 13 years contracting in other EU+CH countries, I have only once had a client/agency that would do rate+expenses, generally they want an all0in rate.

[vwdan]

Well, they offered me a phone interview from the India office and then didn't bother calling. I sent a somewhat snotty e-mail (I had to leave the office and sit in a layby for 30 minutes) explaining that I'd be unable to comit to any interviews now. They tried to call (Different number but clearly foreign), I ignored them and doubt I'll regret it.

Oh, during the day they left 15 (yes, I counted) missed calls on my mobile phone despite being asked explicitly to call my land-line due to signal issues in the office.

Strange experience all round. Sounded like complete crap start to finish.

[GazCol]

Well, they offered me a phone interview from the India office and then didn't bother calling. I sent a somewhat snotty e-mail (I had to leave the office and sit in a layby for 30 minutes) explaining that I'd be unable to comit to any interviews now. They tried to call (Different number but clearly foreign), I ignored them and doubt I'll regret it.

Oh, during the day they left 15 (yes, I counted) missed calls on my mobile phone despite being asked explicitly to call my land-line due to signal issues in the office.

Strange experience all round. Sounded like complete crap start to finish.

That would have set all kinds of alarm bells off for me; I would have just left it there without the email.

[edison]

Quoting excluding travel/accommodation seems better to me, as you cannot hope to estimate those at this point.

I agree that going down the day rate excluding expenses is the best way to go. It could be hard to predict the amount and cost of travel you will need to do - priorities change, meetings change etc. I recently had to travel from Switzerland to Spain for an overnight trip at short notice instead of flying from the UK as originally planned. Most of the flights available were £500-600 one way economy. Some flights were £1200 - you wouldn't want to absorb that in your day rate! Sometimes my hotels have been £200 plus a night, especially in the likes of Switzerland. It can soon add up to a lot of money and you could get burnt if you haven't worked it out carefully and built some contingency too.

As a fairly new contractor, I can only talk from fairly limited experience but my role over the last 6 months has involved about 30-40% travel across Europe. My contract is for a day rate plus expenses. The key part is making sure it's absolutely clear what expenses the client pays for. I have it in writing that they will pay for all flights, accommodation, local travel (e.g. taxis/trains) and subsistence - i.e. dinner/breakfast when I travel anywhere other than to their head office in the UK. Usually the client books all the travel but on a few occasions I have picked up the hotel cost and recharged it to them.

That sounds logical but in 13 years contracting in other EU+CH countries, I have only once had a client/agency that would do rate+expenses, generally they want an all0in rate.

I'm surprised but I suppose you must have a good idea after 13 years of what the all in rate should be to cover travel etc!

[expat]

That sounds logical but in 13 years contracting in other EU+CH countries, I have only once had a client/agency that would do rate+expenses, generally they want an all-in rate.

I'm surprised but I suppose you must have a good idea after 13 years of what the all in rate should be to cover travel etc!

Yes I do, for all likely locations and currencies!

I just meant that IME clients and agents usually don't want to be bothered with it. 1- or 2- day short-notice gigs excepted of course.

[NotAllThere]

...

I'm surprised but I suppose you must have a good idea after 13 years of what the all in rate should be to cover travel etc!

I think that relates more to a contract that requires more than a daily commute - not one when you expect to travel on behalf of the client.